“The hogs have come to the trough to feed again at the expense of those who use the coverage the least,” a lobsterman who purchases his own health insurance for him and his wife said at a public comment session about the originally proposed increase.

The smaller increase will do little to relieve Mainers struggling to afford nongroup coverage. Under the 14 percent increase approved this week, for example, a single, 35-year-old adult with no children and a $2,250 annual deductible could pay as much as $509 a month for basic health care coverage. A married couple with two children could pay almost $1,300 a month for the same coverage plan.

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The new rates will take effect Oct. 1 and be modified to reflect Anthem’s originally requested start date of July 1. About 11,000 Mainers will be affected by the rate increase.

In her decision, Kofman found that Anthem’s original request was both “excessive” and “unfairly discriminatory.” The smaller increase she granted would result in an acceptable cost increase for Mainers enrolled in Anthem’s individual, nongroup policies, she said.

Kofman faulted Anthem’s request on several counts, including its projections for increased cost and amount of health care services demanded by consumers.

“The failure to provide accurate data impairs the ability to conduct meaningful review, and Anthem must take steps to prevent such problems in the future,” Kofman stated in her decision.

Kofman’s latest ruling comes after months of public hearings and analysis by both insurance bureau staff as well as a private actuarial firm. It grants Anthem an estimated 0.5 percent profit margin, as opposed to the 3 percent increase the company had requested.